diy earrings

Even though this could be considered a diy, it's so simple that it's hardly worth mentioning. But regardless, here's a quick and fun diy that really has an infinite amount of possibilities: diy earrings.



You'll need some earring posts and scrapbooking flowers (I got both from Michael's for about $4 total) and a hot glue gun if you don't want to use the adhesive on the stickers.



Step one: attach flower to post. I opted to take off the adhesive and instead hot glue the flowers to the post to ensure they stayed on.



Step two: let dry, then wear. Seriously, it's that simple. And since there were a ton of posts in one package, I'm already thinking of using other things like beads and stickers to attach and wear as earrings.

my week in instagram #36 + weekly roundup

drinking hot chocolate and doing homework // celebrating two years with my best friend // beautiful clouds over a beautiful school // goodies Matt sent me // sunny days // developing film in the dark room // making lasers // the best spy with the best time through the obstacle course // hopscotch and blanket forts

You can follow more instagram awesomeness @impulsings :)

Weekly roundup (an effort to maintain my new years resolutions):

1. novel: currently working on a short story as this is on hold.
2. photos: done!
3. diy project: coming up later tonight!
4. outfit photos: yep!
5. college street style: not this week.
6. book: working through reading it.
7. sketch: I'm changing this one to anything creative, in which case yes, yesterday I worked on making photo props.

Have an awesome week everyone!

on writing a novel

Over the past few days and weeks I've gotten several inquiries about my novel writing endeavors, and since writing isn't something that is as blatantly obvious on Introvert's Introduction as, say photography, what better way to talk about it than with a blog post!

Writing has always been a big interest of mine. I still have my very first "book" I ever wrote, which was written in a spiral bound notebook and illustrated in colored pencil. The title was humbly called "Lauren goes out to eat lunch" and depicted not only my burrito lunch, but also the adventures of my stuffed animal cat, my move to Iceland (which actually happened before I wrote the book, but in my story it occurred after a lot of events that it preceded in real life), and other things such as getting sick and going to the zoo. One of my earliest memories was of me sitting at our cedar chest in the living room one morning eating a bowl of cheerios, watching tv (I think it was Winnie the Pooh), and writing that story. I still have it today thanks to my hoarding self.

So writing has been a part of my life for my entire life, and since it's been so steadfast, I think that's a safe bet I'm meant to do it for a long time. My first "successful" short story was one that was an assignment for our sixth grade literature class, in which it was voted the best story by my peers. And I've been working on that particular tale ever since.



So for about seven years that short story has been cultivating in my mind to one extent or another, and it was only in my senior year of high school when our final project was to write a 100 page novel did that story come alive again. I won't give away too many details about it, but basically the entire allegory is actually about the human depiction of Wisdom in the book of Proverbs from the Bible. The story is also about pirates. I would say it's a fantasy fiction geared towards upper young adults (16-25 or so). As I keep writing it while I grow older, the age range grows older, go figure. One of my resolutions was to write one page in it a week, but currently that's on hold as the entire novel is on an external hard drive which I currently cannot access, also go figure.



In the meantime, I've been doing what I always do when I put off my novel (I've put it off for seven years, and I'm sure it will still be a long time before it's done), which is write other stories, write assignments for school, write for this blog. With photography entering my life, much of my energy goes into that, which is not a bad thing in the least because it is something I can't live without and has given me a lot of meaning in life, but I really am trying to combine the two arts that I so dearly love. Like I mentioned in a previous post, for one of my photography assignments I'm also writing a story to go along with it, and I can't wait to share it with you guys. As for the novel, I'm still dreaming about it and am fine with it cultivating some more in my mind. It's grown a lot from the short story I wrote in sixth grade and I'm sure it will grow even more as time goes on.

sunny days are here to stay

shirt: old navy // pullover: borrowed // pants/boots: forever 21




I've been making a lot of lists recently, to-do lists mostly, of all the things that constantly have to get done. Homework assignments, cleaning, laundry, projects. It seems like right when I'm done with everything on my list, I'm back to making another list of things to check off. That's not to say I don't like it. I was listening to my itunes playlist called "songs to photos," in which all the songs are ones I think would become great photos, and it made me really miss taking a creative photo on a regular basis. My to-do lists don't include anything creative that's not related to school. Perhaps I need to add a photoshoot into my list because I have a lot of great ideas but I just haven't set aside any time to do them.




With that in mind, I'm actually working on a big photo assignment this weekend, and of course by big, I mean I'm making it big. It's actually just a regular assignment, but I've yet again turned an assignment into a giant production complete with a full cast. This will have the most people I've ever shot creatively for one photo, so I'm really excited to be stretched a little bit. I'm also writing a fairly long story that goes along with the photo (since my novel is currently on hold due to technical difficulties), both of which I cannot wait to share with you!





Here's to everyone's to-do lists. I hope you add something really awesome to yours.

just around the riverbend

dress: asos // shirt: thrifted // leggings: forever 21 // shoes: target




A few days ago was the first sunny day in a while and everyone flocked outdoors. I personally thought I was going to die from the heat, but sitting outside in the shade being serenaded by people was really relaxing. Now of course it's been raining all day and I'm itching for some sun. I'm starting to become bored with my tights and leggings (gasp! I never thought I'd say that!) and I just want to wear shorts. Alas, I fear it will still be several more weeks before these legs see the light of day.





I've been photographing my outfits less and less, and I don't know if that's a good thing or not. It is certainly nice to not always have to make time to take pictures of myself, but then at the end of the day I feel so bad for not getting around to it. I always have to remind myself that it's okay to not blog about everything and it's okay if I miss a day in taking pictures of my outfit. I love blogging and taking photos for it, but man, I'm making it sound like work. Which (and I know I'm about to go off on a rabbit trail here), work shouldn't have such a negative connotation to it. I mean, were humans meant to laze around all day? I don't think so. We were meant to work! And work shouldn't be not fun (ignore that poor grammar, just roll with it). In my schoolwork specifically, I always try to make it the best that it can be as a kind of game between myself and my professor. If it's in a class I don't like or a class that's really hard, I try to do my best just to spite the thoughts that I won't do good on it, and if it's in a class I do like, then I try to see if I can outdo my expectations. The hardest part for me though is just finding the motivation to start!




What do you guys think about work? What gets you motivated? As always, I hope you have a great day!

two years with my best friend

pictures from January 2011 to January 2013

I never knew my heart could be filled with so much joy and adoration for one person. My love for him grows every single day and he constantly inspires me, pushes me, makes me laugh, and fills me with overwhelming happiness. I love you so much, Matt. Thank you for the best, most incredible two years ever. You are amazing.

my week in instagram #35 + weekly roundup

one of my favorite spots on campus // drying some prints // skype/age of empires date with a cutie // wearing things Matt gave me // evidence of spring // showing off bare legs // cute dr. who themed valentine's day card // some finished artwork // first time playing (and winning) monopoly

You can follow more instagram awesomeness @impulsings :)

Weekly roundup (an effort to maintain my new years resolutions):

1. novel: I'm actually having some technical difficulties with this one as I can't open my external hard drive to get the files.
2. photos: have yet to do a second photo.
3. diy project: hopefully will be posted some time this week, so look out for that!
4. outfit photos: yep!
5. college street style: not this week.
6. book: halfway done with my first.
7. sketch: Yep! I did a lot of sketching yesterday.

Have an awesome week everyone!

film friday: paperman

In honor of Valentine's Day, here is a super cute movie for you. From Disney, "Introducing a groundbreaking technique that seamlessly merges computer-generated and hand-drawn animation techniques, first-time director John Kahrs takes the art of animation in a bold new direction with the Oscar®-nominated short, "Paperman." Using a minimalist black-and-white style, the short follows the story of a lonely young man in mid-century New York City, whose destiny takes an unexpected turn after a chance meeting with a beautiful woman on his morning commute. Convinced the girl of his dreams is gone forever, he gets a second chance when he spots her in a skyscraper window across the avenue from his office. With only his heart, imagination and a stack of papers to get her attention, his efforts are no match for what the fates have in store for him. Created by a small, innovative team working at Walt Disney Animation Studios, "Paperman" pushes the animation medium in an exciting new direction."

you make me blush

dress/lace shirt/shoes: thrifted // shirt/tights: forever 21





Happy Valentines Day, everyone! This holiday always has mixed feelings between people, and I have mixed feelings for the day too. Part of me thinks it's a stupid excuse for boys to be extra nice to girls, part of me adores the holiday because it's super cute and romantic, and part of me thinks it's highly overrated. Welcome to the confusing world of Lauren. I guess it really depends on the year for me. This year I'm not too excited about it, because there will be a ton of cute couple-y stuff and it will make me miss Matt more than I usually do. I don't think I've talked about him for a while on here, but we are doing good. Long distance relationships are really hard and they stink but it's totally worth it. Some days are harder than others but you just have to keep the line of communication open and be trusting and understanding. And you always have to stay positive. I've learned a lot that my emotions affect other people, so keeping a positive spirit is of the utmost importance. But Matt is my best friend and he really balances out my insanity perfectly, and I'm so so thankful for him every day. Sure, not being able to see him in person is really hard, but he is more than worth it.




But today is going to be a good day. There are so many people I love and I can't wait to spend it with my friends. Every day I'm thankful for them and where I am and I just love my college and my life so much. Even though I have bad days (like everyone does), I would say that life is pretty fantastic and I'm really glad I've reached that mindset.




I hope you have a marvelous holiday! I love you all so much and I'm so thankful for you, and you deserve to have an awesome day. :)

from the darkroom

I present to you my first prints from the darkroom! Obviously my scanner isn't the best, but that's alright! I've basically fallen head over heels for film photography, and that may be detrimental to my digital loving self. Haha you may never see another digital photo from me again! That probably won't actually be true, but I just want to spend every moment taking photos and hanging out in the darkroom. It really gives photography that handmade art feeling that really makes it feel like a fine art. And I love being able to combine creating something with my hands with photography. The possibilities of what I can do in the darkroom are literally endless, and I'm so excited to explore everything it has to offer.

superpowers

dress/shoes: target // shirt: thrifted // tights: diy




When I was younger, I went to a really conservative Christian school. The guys were only allowed to wear jeans on Fridays, and slacks the rest of the days, and girls were only allowed to wear slacks on Fridays, and skirts/dresses that touched the knee (or longer) the rest of the week. There were a lot of other strict rules about dress code, such as no shirts with words, sleeves had to cover your shoulders, guys' hair couldn't touch their ears and they weren't allowed to have facial hair. On Wednesdays they had to wear a button down shirt, and most of them just wore a tie with it (the girls were always excited about that). I'm not saying these things to put down my old school, because that was the best school I ever went to. The administrators said that one reason they had such a strict dress code was because of the fact that when students dress better, they perform better.




I've really taken that to heart over the years and have discovered that to one extent or another it's true. Clothes have this powerful ability to manipulate our emotions and how we feel, and oftentimes we aren't even aware of it. That's why my old school never let us come to class wearing sweatpants and t-shirts, because if we did we would be more likely to slack on our schoolwork. That's not to say that wearing sweats and t-shirts equates to slacking, but wearing something that resembles pajamas does have an impact on performance. But it's not only about fabric options as much as whether or not you feel confident in what you're wearing. Despite all the fashion trends that come and go, if you don't feel confident in what you're wearing, then it will affect how you feel. Clothes can make us feel sexy, powerful, adventurous, you name it, and they can also make us feel ugly, frumpy, sluggish. And the list goes on and on. Not only do clothes have this ability to change how we feel, but we have the ability to change our clothes. It's all an effort of tapping in to the power of a garment to feel a certain way as you go throughout your day. You don't necessarily have to dress up all the time. I have a few staple outfits that I wear over again on those days where I don't really feel like stepping outside of the fashion box, but when I still want to feel good. If you feel confident and alert in a t-shirt and jeans, then by all means, wear that. That's the joy of personal style. It is completely unique to each person. For me personally, I've found that I usually feel most confident in fun colors and patterns, and while that's not always "in style," those are the things that make me perform the best and make me feel the most happy about who I am. When we realize that a simple article of clothing has this power and when we realize that we can use that power to our advantage, then there's nothing we won't be able to do.





I hope you have a really beautiful day!

my week in instagram #34 + weekly roundup

three of my photos in the Anchorage newspaper! // watching the historical superbowl // dirty/cut up hands from working in the shop // my college at night // 365 photos all in a big pile // my first darkroom print! // new purple tips // my 365 gallery // epic pool time

You can follow more instagram awesomeness @impulsings :)

Weekly roundup (an effort to maintain my new years resolutions):

1. novel: I basically fail at this resolution.
2. photos: working on my second photo for this month!
3. diy project: still in the works.
4. outfit photos: not this past week. In my defense though the week was taken over by my 365 gallery show.
5. college street style: yep!
6. book: still working through my first one.
7. sketch: Not this week. :/

I hope you have a great week everyone!

365 Gallery Show

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven't posted much this week, but I'm actually not that sorry because I've been busy with something really awesome. A couple weeks ago I was talking with my friend Ben, who encouraged me to show all of my 365 photos in a gallery on campus. Then fast forward to Tuesday when I casually went in to the Art Department (where Ben was conveniently the secretary at the time), and then three minutes later casually walked out with a two week show time starting this Saturday (yes, today). So my entire week has been consumed with putting this show together, skipping going to meals to eat in my room and work, staying up extra late to file photos and label and cut out things, and finally putting them all up one by one on display. Yesterday was the day to set up, and my friends and I spent about five hours in the gallery, but it was well worth it!



Before, with sad bare walls, taylor resting her legs before we even start, and Ivy modeling the gopro that was so elegantly taped to my tripod to film our endeavour.



Wall one, two, and three. It was completely surreal to see a year's worth of work all up on the wall. If I had known that all these photos would have eventually been shown in a gallery, I might have tried harder on the project, but I still am really proud of all of them as a whole. I love how you can see my progress from day one to day three hundred and sixty five, and how my style developed and changed, and I love how each photo has a unique story about it. Today I'll be hanging out at the gallery and hopefully people ask a lot of questions, because this is one thing that I am incredibly passionate about and I love being able to share it with other people.



And finally, here is a timelaps video of my day yesterday! Thank you to everyone who helped me in any way with this project, from finding materials for me to putting all the photos together, from lending supplies and bringing me food while I was working to coming and hanging out during set up, and thank you to all the people who have and will show up for the show. Photography is meant to be shared so I am incredibly thankful for everyone who allows me to share this little piece of me with them.

365 Art Gallery Show 2013 from Lauren Parker on Vimeo.

a thousand million words

Hey guys! Today I'm guest posting over on A Thousand Million Words, so be sure to check it out here!